We often are asked, “What do you do for dietary restrictions?” For those we serve at partner locations in senior living, hospitals, corporate dining, and independent schools, flexible dining is a common concern. Many need to follow special diets, such as gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan, and so on.
For people with specific diets, trying to find foods to eat when they aren’t making the food themselves can be challenging. Especially when you first change your dining habits, it can seem like there’s nothing you can eat. Lack of dining choices can leave people feeling excluded, different, and isolated, which is everything we work to avoid in being a foodservice company.
With each of our partners, our team of chefs and dietitians work together to curate a custom menu that provides options for a variety of dietary needs. Our approach to dining is flexible and adaptable to suit the preferences of our partners and their specific demographic they serve. We are always working to be better as a team and company in providing the best selection possible.
A recent story from Thomas Cuisine’s Chef Vance showcases our commitment to being better every day. In one of our cafés, Chef Vance was speaking with a guest who shared that as a vegan there was very little at the family dinner table during the holidays that she could have. In fact, she hadn’t been able to enjoy staple comfort foods in quite some time.
After hearing this, Chef Vance looked around at the offerings in his café, and realized that artisan items like pizza were not readily available for vegan diets, and it would be a nice treat to have those items available in his café. Vance started to brainstorm creative ways in which his culinary team could come up with a vegan pizza that was scratch-made, locally sourced, flavorful, and nutritious.
Ultimately, Chef Vance and his team went above and beyond by creating three custom pizza dough recipes to set their vegan offerings apart in the café. These doughs are unmistakable because of their vegetable-infusions, which result in striking colors, unparalleled flavor, and an extra boost of nutrients from the added vegetables. Additionally, these pizzas feature locally-sourced vegan cheese and fresh, seasonal toppings to ensure a variety of flavors all year long.
When asked about the motivation and effort it took to create a non-conventional pizza rooted in REAL food, Vance opened up about his own personal dedication to scratch-cooking. He shared that as a father, he’s seen that eating REAL food has been a key factor in managing his son’s heart condition. In turn, he likes to spread the positive influence of REAL food in his café. By taking feedback, building teams, and continuously improving his craft, he explains he can help customers feel heard and valued through the food they serve each day.
To hear more of this story, please see the full interview with Chef Vance below.
